~ The Taro Tattler ~College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii

Information Sheet for the Growers, Shippers, Processors of Chinese, Poi, Dasheen and Samoan Tarosfrom Hawaii

Volume 2. No. 1

The phrase 'knowledge is power' has application tothe taro industry. In Part I of a two-part Sources andResources series of the Tattler we would like to supplyyou with information on where you can obtain the evervaluable commodity of knowledge. In this issue, thenames of informative publications will supplement theinformation that has been supplied in earlier issues of theTattler. The next issue will contain the names and inter­ests of resource people, including University of Hawaiifaculty. Before we get into the 'pot of gold', however, letstake care of some old but important business.

BACKTRACKING

After a number of Wednesday evening meetings,leaders in Hawaii's Chinese taro industry have come upwith a bag-tag to go on their 50 pound bags of exportQUAUTY taro. This 31/8" x 61/4" tag (shown reducedbelow) with its reinforced string hole will feature greenprinting (to match the green shipping bags) on yellowstock. The design is that of talented Hilo artist KathrynGodshall who has learned more about taro in the past 6weeks then she ever could have imagined. With an initialorder of about 35,000tags the average cost per tag is to beabout 4.5 cents each, just about what is paid for plainwhite tags at local stationary stores. It is hoped that withmore product identification Hawaii taro farmers may beable to increase their share of the Mainland fresh taromarket. However, QUALfIY is again the watch-word asevery bit of junk taro that makes it to the Mainland defeatsthe efforts of the industry as a whole. For more informa­tion contact Lance Yoshi ama of the Hawaii land

January 1990

Taro Association (964-1667) or Jim Hollyer (948-8800).Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this projectand congratulations to the taro industryon makingone ofthe August taro conferences' recommendations a reality!

Also hotoff the presses is the proceedings of "TakingTaro into the 1990's: A Taro Conference" held in Hilolast August. Those who attended the conference will bemailed their copy in the next few weeks. Others inter­ested in obtaining a copy can do so by sendingyour nameandaddress to: Taro ConferenceProceedings,cl 0 DwightSato, 875 Komohana St., Hilo, Hawaii 96820.

A video of the conference is also available from Dr.Joe DeFrank at the Department of Horticulture. Thisthree-tape anthology covers not only the August meet­ing, but contains footage from the 1989 Waianae andWindward taro conferences which focused on more ofthe cultural aspects of taro in Hawaii. Mahalo to DougHamasaki and Usa Ferentinos for the extra energy andcreativity theyputinto the video production. Price for thewhole set is estimated to be between $60-$100 dependingon how many sets are requested. The only way you canfind out more about the tape and its cost is by filling outand mailing back the card which is attached.

SOURCES AND RESOURCES

We've finally reached the focus of this edition of theTattler. There is a great deal of information providedhere, some of which may be important to you whileothersnot so important. In any case, scan this section which hasbeen divided in general categories for the items thatinterest ou.

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MARKETINGDid you know that you canget currentmarket prices

for taro and luau leafby callinga recording? The HawaiiDepartmentof Agriculturechanges their recordingseveryMonday, Wednesday and Friday for fresh vegetable andfruit prices. The recordings are changed after 12:00Noonon Oahu, call 548-7171;after 1:30pm on Hawaii 961-7518;Kauai 245-4302; Maui 244-4217. If you want to get thedaily current market price for Los Angeles call 548-7160on Oahu. The message changes after 2 pm daily.

Looking for marketing, design and packaging ideas?One place to get a feel of what works and what doesn't isat your local supermarket, or better yet, check out thehealth food stores. Both of these types of markets willshow you what's hot and what's not. Take a few mo­ments on every shopping trip to learn and enjoy creativeideas from people just like yourself. Also, magazinesoften found in the health food stores have good ideas forpackaging and their advertising sections just might listthat new buyer you are looking for .

You might also want to get information on your taro­based product in Fancy Food, The Business Magazine forSpecialty Foods, Confections and Wine. For $26 a year youwill "get the most up-to-date information, latest productdevelopments, industry trends and show news." Youmay also learn from examples of how others promotetheir products. Write them at Talcott CommunicationsCorp., 1414 Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL 60654 or call(312) 67G-0800. With your subscription you will alsoreceive the 1990 year-round reference to over 7,000 spe­cialty food products, equipment, and services.

Another good source of marketing ideas and outletsis your own Hawaii Department of Agriculture, MarketDevelopment Branch. They arestaffed with knowledge­able people who have made a great number of businesscontacts throughout the world - maybe they know theright person who could market your taro-based prod­ucts. They also put out the annual Hawaii AgriculturalandFood Products Export Directory. This high profile directoryis another way of getting your name in front of potentialcustomers. Call the marketingbranch at (808)548-8542orwrite them at P.O. Box 22159, Honolulu, HI 96822-0159for more information.

The United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association inAlexandria, Virginia is also a good resource for informa­tion. They havean extensive library and produce helpfulguides such as "Handbook of Advertising Phrases" and"Handbook of Retailing Fruits and Vegetables." Contactthis group at 727 North Washington Street, Alexandria,VA. 22314,or call them at (703) 836-3410. They also giveseminars on how to package and sell your products moreeffectively.

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You may also want to market your taro-based prod­uct at the ''Expo 90: The International Garden and Green­ery Exposition," in Osaka, Japan. This trade show willhave a special 'USA Day' where Hawaii products may behighlighted during its April 1 to September 30, 1990 run.Call the Department of Economic Development at 548­7645 for more information on how you can take advan­tage of this golden opportunity.

Freida'sHOT SHEET is hot and timely! The lady whobrought America kiwi fruit and lots of other fruit andvegetable goodies, puts outa weekly newsletter detailingmarket trends-invaluable for those who need to know.Send $84.00 for a 1 year subscription to Frieda's Finest/Produce Specialties, Inc. P.O. Box58488,Los Angeles, CA90058. You might also want to see if Frieda can handlesome of your taro-based product, such as frozen taro leaf(the Hawaiian spinach??).

If you are interested in producing various productsfrom taro, for example taro gum, and want to check thespot price on a substitute gum, look in the weekly Chemi­cal Marketing Reporter. This periodical can be found inyour nearest university library.

ECONOMICS AND COMPUTERSHaving trouble knowing if you are making money

growing taro? The Department of Agricultural andResource Economics has a Lotus 1-2-3 computer spread­sheet template which will help you make more sense ofyour taro (or other agricultural product) business. Youcan geta copy of the program and the instruction manualby sending a 5 1/4" blank formatted diskette to yourCooperative Extension Service county agent or by writ­ing to:

Department of Agricultural andResource Economics

3050 Maile Way, Gilmore 115Honolulu, Hawaii 96822Attention: Lotus Budget Generator Manager

Looking to increase the effectiveness of your opera­tion (growers, shipper, brokers) with the aid of a com­puter, well the Red Book's Newsflash has advertisementsfrom the following companies to help you do just that:

Software Solutions Company2569 W. Shaw, Suite 103Fresno, CA 93711Tel (209) 222-8994FAX (209) 222-9480

Strickland Technology Corp.8105 Bells Lake Rd.Apex, NC 27502Tel (919) 779-7657

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PRODUCDONEQUWMrnNTLooking for a piece of production equipment and

can't find it in Hawaii? The American Vegetable GrowersAnnual Buyers Guide is one place to start your search.Check with your local library for a copy or call MeisterPublishers in Ohio at (216) 942-2000 for orderinginformation. Implement and Tractor, another industrypublication is good source for farm equipment. Write orcall this latter publication at: Farm Press PublicationsInc., P.O. Box1420,Clarksdale, Mississippi 38614, (601)624-8503. You might also want to send $2.00 to MarketFann Implement at RD2,Box206,Friedens, PA 15541, (814)443-1931 for their vegetable crop machinery catalog.

PRODUCTION METHODS AND MAGAZINESIf taro traditions and traditional taro agricultural

practices are your kuliana, check out Kalo: A Maka'ainanaHandbook, produced by Waianaes' Ka'ala Farm, Inc.Contact the farm for this down-to-Earth productionmanual at: P.O. Box659,Waianae, Hawaii 96792.

Interested in taro tissue culture? The Taro TissueCulture Manual, by Joseph Arditi and Michael Strass,South Pacific Commission Information Document No.44-1979, is a cookbook of sorts for taro-keiki production.Find this 60 page document under Pac. HC 681 .567No.44(1979) in the Hawaiian Collection at UH Hamiltonlibrary.

Small-Scale ProcessingandStorageofTropical Root Crops,edited by Donald L. Plucknett is also a good source ofproduction information. This 1979 Westview TropicalAgriculture Series publication provides a broad over­view of root crops with much tosayabouttaro. Youmanynot be able to find this book too readily, but it can beordered through the University or Honolulu bookstores.

Taro, A Review ofColocasia esculenta andits Potentials,edited by [aw-Kai Wang is an informative compendiumof information on taro. Topics covered include process­ing, production and nutrition. You can find this 1983University of Hawaii Press publication at the Universitybookstore.

Doyou also growothercrops a long with taro? (Goodthinking! its wise to be diversified). Well if so, you maybe interested in the following recent publications as citedin Rural Enterprise. Thisquarterly magazine for the small­scale farmer, can be ordered for $8.95for 4 issues, with afree trial copy upon request. Write:Rural Enterprise, P.O.Box878,Menomonee Falls,WI 53051. In the latest issuethe following publications were noted:

l OWS 0 rtuniiu: e ar t or pecUl tes aOrganics, by Nancy Lee Bently. "The book providesdescriptions and illustrations of specialty foods,survey demographics and consumer trends, includ­ing dining out, special ty foods, diet and health foods,ethnic foods and lists 25 tips for success in specialtyand organic produce." Price:$25.00post paid. Write:The Food Circle, P.O. Box 6194, Minneapolis, MN55406. (612) 334-1999.

Backyard Cash Crops, by Craig Wallin. "The book listsover 200possible crops which yield a lucrative returnwith aminimal investment." Price:$19.95 (hardcover),$14.95 (paperback) plus $2 shipping. Write: Home­stead Design, Inc. Box 988JR, Friday Harbor, WA98250.

Directory for Small-Scale Agriculture, by U.S. Depart­ment of Cooperative State Research Service. Thedirectory contains names of 500 key federal and stateexperts who can answer your questions about diver­sified agriculture. Cross-referenced by crop and keyword. Price: $5.50. Write: Superintendent of Docu­ments, GPO, North Capital Street, N.W., Washing­ton, D.C. 20402-9325,or call order desk at (202)783­3238. Quote stock #001-D00-04539.

Also from the Superintendent of Documents comes"Marketing U.S. Agriculture: The 1988 Yearbook ofAgriculture." This 336page publication is filled withnot only agricultural production data, but up-to-datemarketing ideas and case studies as well. Send acheck for $9.50to the address given above.

A National Weekly Fresh Herb Market New Report, bythe U.s. Department of Agriculture. Report givesprices and unloads in 23 major U.S. markets for avariety of herbs and spices. Price: $72.00for 1 year.Write: Fruit and Vegetable Market News, FederalBuilding, Room 942,536South Clark Street, Chicago,IL60605.

Other informative fanning magazines include:The NewFarm, is produced 7 times a year and focuses

on low input agriculture, current subscription price is$15per year. For more information write: The RegenerativeAgriculture Association, 222Main St.,Emmaus, Pennsyl­vania 18049or call (215) 967-5171.

. SuccessfulFanning: TheMagazineofFannManagement,produced 16times a year and covers areas including cropdiversification, soils, labor, and marketing. An annualsubscription is $10 and can be purchased by writing theMeredith Corporation, 1716Locust St., Des Moines, Iowa50336.

The Business ofHerbs. A bi-monthly publication for

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UNIVERSITY NEWSLE 11 ERS AND SERVICESThe Pesticide Label, gives current information of the

uses of pesticides in Hawaii. At the time of this writingstill none cleared for taro. Write the Department Agricul­tural Biochemistry, 1800 East-West Road, Henke 329,Honolulu, HI 96822, to get on their mailing list.

Vegetable Growers Newsletter, a newsletter that coversproduction information on a variety of crops in Hawaii,including taro. Write the Cooperative Extension Service,University of Hawaii, 45-260Waikalua Road, Kaneohe,HI 96744, or call 247-0421 for more information. Alsoavailable by writing the Extension Service is informationon insect problems is the Urban Pest Press a series onspecific insect pests.

More bug information can also be obtained from TheAgent's Bug News. Get more facts on this newly estab­lished newsletter by writing Ron Mau at the Departmentof Entomology, Gilmore Hall 310, University of Hawaii,Honolulu, HI 96822or by calling 948-7073.

Want to know how the Governors Agriculture Coor­dinatingCommittee (GACC)supported projects (includ­ing taro) are doing, then get your name on the mailing listfor their newsletter, Up-Date. Write the GACC at 335

, The Taro Project ~~Department of Agricultural and Resource EconomicsGilmore Hall 115University of HawaiiHonolulu, HI 96822Attn: Jim Hollyer

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The College of Business Administration's SullivanLab provides you with an opportunity to test your taroproduct's package design, appearance and taste accep­tance, among other qualities, in its mini-supermarket.For more information on fees and procedures call theMarketing Department at 948-6692.

Soil analysis, product composition (protein, ash,fiber, moisture and fat), plant disease, insect-pest andplant tissue analysis can be performed by the Universityof Hawaii Agricultural Diagnostic ServiceCenter locatedat the University of Hawaii Department of Agronomyand SoilScienceon Oahu. Work through your extensionagent or call 948-6706 for more information, includingthat on costs of the service.For more information please write :The Taro ProjectDepartment of Agricultural and Resource EconomicsGilmore Hall 115University of HawaiiHonolulu, HI 96822Attn: Jim Hollyer

Reference to a company or product name does not implyapproval or recommendation of the product by the Collegeof Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University ofHawaii.